Savings Plans, Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Employee Benefits | NOTE 11. SAVINGS PLANS, PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SAVINGS PLANS Substantially all of our employees are eligible to participate in 401(k) savings plans. In 2016, 2015 and 2014, we made matching 401(k) contributions on behalf of our employees of $2.1 million, $2.1 million and $2.0 million, respectively. Certain eligible employees who earn awards under our annual incentive plan are permitted to defer receipt of those awards. These employees may defer receipt of a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 100% of the award pursuant to rules established under our Management Deferred Compensation Plan. Eligible employees may also defer up to 50% of their base salary under the Management Deferred Compensation Plan. At the employee's election, deferrals may be deemed invested in a company stock unit account, a directed investment account with certain deemed investments available under the 401(k) Plan or a combination of these investment vehicles. If company stock units are elected, dividend equivalents are credited to the units . PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS On January 1, 2011, we froze our pension plans to any new salaried and hourly non-represented employees hired after that date. In late 2009, we restructured our other postretirement benefit plans, effective January 1, 2010. The level of health care subsidy was frozen for retirees so that all future increments in health care costs will be borne by the retirees. In addition, for retirees under age 65, a high deductible medical plan was created and all other existing health care plans were terminated. For retirees age 65 or over, the medical plan is divided into two components, with the company continuing to self-insure prescription drugs and providing a fully-insured medical supplemental plan through AARP/United Healthcare. Both health care plans require the retiree to contribute the amounts in excess of the company subsidy in order to continue coverage. Finally, vision, dental and life insurance coverage for these retirees were terminated. The effect of these retiree plan changes was a reduction in the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation of $76.7 million, which was recognized as of December 31, 2009. We use a December 31 measurement date for our benefit plans and obligations. We recognize the underfunded status of our defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement employee benefit obligations on our Consolidated Balance Sheets Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income The change in benefit obligation, change in plan assets and funded status for company-sponsored benefit plans and obligations are as follows: Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits (Dollars in thousands) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Benefit obligation at beginning of year $ (382,071 ) $ (417,694 ) $ (35,471 ) $ (41,561 ) Service cost (6,508 ) (6,159 ) (14 ) (22 ) Interest cost (17,020 ) (17,012 ) (1,421 ) (1,456 ) Actuarial gain (loss) (13,997 ) 27,094 (313 ) 3,778 Benefits paid 34,135 31,700 3,882 3,790 Benefit obligation at end of year $ (385,461 ) $ (382,071 ) $ (33,337 ) $ (35,471 ) Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year $ 292,200 $ 337,059 $ — $ — Actual return on plan assets 28,626 (14,970 ) — — Employer contributions and benefit payments 2,984 1,811 3,882 3,790 Benefits paid (34,135 ) (31,700 ) (3,882 ) (3,790 ) Fair value of plan assets at end of year $ 289,675 $ 292,200 $ — $ — Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets: Current liabilities $ (1,824 ) $ (1,791 ) $ (4,015 ) $ (4,182 ) Noncurrent liabilities (93,962 ) (88,080 ) (29,322 ) (31,289 ) Funded status $ (95,786 ) $ (89,871 ) $ (33,337 ) $ (35,471 ) The accumulated benefit obligation for all defined benefit pension plans is determined using the actuarial present value and was $379.5 million and $375.5 million at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. PENSION ASSETS We utilize formal investment policy guidelines for our company-sponsored pension plan assets. Management insures that the investment policy and guidelines are adhered to and the investment objectives are met. The general policy states that plan assets will be invested to seek the greatest return consistent with the fiduciary character of the pension funds and to allow the plans to meet the need for timely pension benefit payments. The specific investment guidelines stipulate that management will maintain adequate liquidity for meeting expected benefit payments by reviewing, on a timely basis, contribution and benefit payment levels and appropriately revise long-term and short-term asset allocations. Management takes reasonable and prudent steps to preserve the value of pension fund assets and to avoid the risk of large losses. Major steps taken to provide this protection include the following: • Assets are diversified among various asset classes, such as domestic equities, global equities, fixed income, convertible securities and liquid reserves. The long-term asset allocation ranges are as follows: Domestic and international equities 24% - 48% Fixed income securities 38% - 58% Alternatives, which may include equities and fixed income securities 12% - 18% Cash 0% - 5% • Periodic reviews of allocations within these ranges are made to determine what adjustments should be made based on changing economic and market conditions and specific liquidity requirements. • Assets are managed by professional investment managers and may be invested in separately managed accounts or commingled funds. Assets are diversified by selecting different investment managers for each asset class and by limiting assets under each manager to no more than 25% of the total pension fund. • Assets are not invested in Potlatch stock. The investment guidelines also provide that the individual investment managers are expected to achieve a reasonable rate of return over a market cycle. Emphasis will be placed on long-term performance versus short-term market aberrations. Factors to be considered in determining reasonable rates of return include performance achieved by a diverse cross section of other investment managers, performance of commonly used benchmarks (e.g., Russell 2500 Index, Barclays Long Credit Index, Morgan Stanley Capital International Index), actuarial assumptions for return on plan investments and specific performance guidelines given to individual investment managers. The asset allocations of the pension benefit plans’ assets at December 31 by asset category are as follows: Pension Plans Asset Category 2016 2015 Domestic and international equities 36 % 35 % Fixed income securities 48 48 Other (includes cash and equivalents and alternatives) 16 17 Total 100 % 100 % The pension assets are stated at fair value. Refer to Note 10. Financial Instruments Following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for assets measured at fair value: • Cash and cash equivalents are classified as Level 1. Corporate common and preferred stocks with quoted market prices on major securities markets are classified as Level 1. Investments in registered investment company funds for which market quotations are generally readily available on the primary market or exchange on which they are traded, and are classified in Level 1. • Level 2 assets consist primarily of collective investment trust funds, which are valued at their respective net asset value (NAV) and fully redeemable in the near-term. • Investments in funds that may not be fully redeemed in the near-term are generally classified in Level 3. We had no Level 3 investments at December 31, 2016 or 2015. Fair value measurements are as follows: (Dollars in thousands) December 31, 2016 Asset Category Level 1 Level 2 Total Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,845 $ — $ 2,845 Domestic equity securities 1 25,409 26,279 51,688 International equity securities 2 — 26,555 26,555 Emerging markets 3 12 26,391 26,403 Fixed income securities 4 138,897 — 138,897 Alternatives 5 — 43,287 43,287 Total $ 167,163 $ 122,512 $ 289,675 (Dollars in thousands) December 31, 2015 Asset Category Level 1 Level 2 Total Cash and cash equivalents $ 5,591 $ — $ 5,591 Domestic equity securities 1 26,253 25,619 51,872 International equity securities 2 411 25,733 26,144 Emerging markets 3 1,831 23,681 25,512 Fixed income securities 4 138,906 — 138,906 Alternatives 5 — 44,175 44,175 Total $ 172,992 $ 119,208 $ 292,200 1 Level 1 assets are managed investments in U.S. small/mid-cap equities that track the Russell 2500 Growth index or Russell 2500 Value index. Level 2 assets are collective investments, which are invested in U.S. large-cap equities that track the S&P 500. 2 3 Level 1 assets are mutual funds which are invested in the common stock of companies located (or with primary operations) in emerging markets that track the MSCI Emerging Markets index. Level 2 assets are collective investments in the common stock of companies located (or with primary operations) in emerging markets that track the MSCI Emerging Markets index. 4 5 Level 2 assets are collective investments in inflation-indexed bonds, securities of real estate companies, commodity index-linked notes, fixed income securities, foreign currencies, securities of natural resource companies, master limited partnerships, publicly listed infrastructure companies, floating-rate debt, securities of global agriculture companies and securities of global timber companies. PLAN ACTIVITY Pre-tax components of net periodic cost (benefit) recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Income Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits (Dollars in thousands) 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Service cost $ 6,508 $ 6,159 $ 5,081 $ 14 $ 22 $ 25 Interest cost 17,020 17,012 19,184 1,421 1,456 1,741 Expected return on plan assets (18,999 ) (20,804 ) (24,512 ) — — — Amortization of prior service cost (credit) 518 605 748 (8,877 ) (9,312 ) (9,641 ) Amortization of actuarial loss 16,339 17,937 14,451 1,717 2,047 2,186 Net periodic cost (benefit) $ 21,386 $ 20,909 $ 14,952 $ (5,725 ) $ (5,787 ) $ (5,689 ) Other amounts recognized in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits (Dollars in thousands) 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Net amount at beginning of year $ 128,244 $ 134,261 $ 117,167 $ (13,741 ) $ (15,869 ) $ (18,447 ) Amounts arising during the period: Net loss (gain) 4,370 8,680 43,223 313 (3,777 ) (3,229 ) Taxes (1,704 ) (3,386 ) (16,857 ) (122 ) 1,473 1,259 Net amount arising during the period 2,666 5,294 26,366 191 (2,304 ) (1,970 ) Amounts reclassified during the period: Amortization of prior service (cost) credit (518 ) (605 ) (748 ) 8,877 9,312 9,641 Amortization of actuarial loss (16,339 ) (17,937 ) (14,451 ) (1,717 ) (2,047 ) (2,186 ) Taxes 6,574 7,231 5,927 (2,792 ) (2,833 ) (2,907 ) Net reclassifications during the period (10,283 ) (11,311 ) (9,272 ) 4,368 4,432 4,548 Net amount at end of year $ 120,627 $ 128,244 $ 134,261 $ (9,182 ) $ (13,741 ) $ (15,869 ) Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss on our Consolidated Balance Sheets Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits (Dollars in thousands) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Net loss $ 120,006 $ 127,307 $ 8,778 $ 9,634 Prior service cost (credit) 621 937 (17,960 ) (23,375 ) Net amount recognized $ 120,627 $ 128,244 $ (9,182 ) $ (13,741 ) The estimated net loss and prior service cost for the defined benefit pension plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit cost over the next year are $15.4 million and $0.3 million, respectively. The estimated net loss and prior service credit for OPEB obligations that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive loss into net periodic benefit over the next year are $1.6 million and $8.9 million, respectively. EXPECTED FUNDING AND BENEFIT PAYMENTS We are not required to make contributions to our qualified pension plans in 2017. Our non-qualified pension plan and other postretirement employee benefit plans are unfunded and benefit payments are paid from our general assets. We estimate that we will make non-qualified pension plan and other postretirement employee benefit payments of $5.8 million in 2017, which are included below. Estimated future benefit payments, which reflect expected future service are as follows for the years indicated: (Dollars in thousands) Pension Plans Other Employee Benefits 2017 $ 28,846 $ 4,015 2018 $ 28,534 $ 3,727 2019 $ 28,189 $ 3,470 2020 $ 27,964 $ 3,255 2021 $ 27,609 $ 2,987 2022–2026 $ 132,424 $ 11,940 ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS The weighted average assumptions used to determine the benefit obligation as of December 31 were: Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Discount rate 4.40 % 4.65 % 4.25 % 4.10 % 4.25 % 3.90 % Rate of salaried compensation increase 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % — — — The weighted average assumptions used to determine the net periodic cost (benefit) for the years ended December 31 were: Pension Plans Other Postretirement Employee Benefits 2016 2015 2014 2016 2015 2014 Discount rate 4.65 % 4.25 % 5.10 % 4.25 % 3.90 % 4.45 % Expected return on plan assets 6.50 % 6.75 % 7.50 % — — — Rate of salaried compensation increase 3.00 % 3.00 % 3.00 % — — — The discount rate used in the determination of pension and other postretirement employee benefit obligations was calculated using hypothetical bond portfolios to match the expected benefit payments under each of our pension plans and other postretirement employee benefit obligations based on bonds available at each year-end with a rating of "AA" or better. The portfolios were well-diversified over corporate industrial, corporate financial, municipal, federal and foreign government issuers. The expected return on plan assets assumption is based upon an analysis of historical long-term returns for various investment categories, as measured by appropriate indices. These indices are weighted based upon the extent to which plan assets are invested in the particular categories in arriving at our determination of a composite expected return. The expected rate of return assumption that will be used to determine net periodic cost for 2017 is 6.50%. The assumed health care cost trend rate used to calculate other postretirement employee benefit obligations as of December 31, 2016 was 7.90% for a certain group of participants under age 65 in our hourly plan and our Arkansas participants covered by a collective bargaining agreement, grading ratably to an assumption of 4.20% in 2086. A one percentage point change in the health care cost trend rates would have the following effects on our December 31, 2016 Consolidated Financial Statements (Dollars in thousands) 1% Increase 1% Decrease Effect on total service cost plus interest cost $ 3 $ (3 ) Effect on accumulated postretirement benefit obligation $ 67 $ (64 ) |